Folding umbrella.



No. 886,426. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

G. O. SHIVERS.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.7. 1908.

w W a 13% in was w A, i. M

Gttoznuga GEORGE C. SHIVERS, OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1908.

Application filed March 7, 1908. Serial No. 420,074.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. Snrvnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Savannah, in the county of Chatham and State of Georgia, have invented. certain new and useful I'm rovements in Folding Umbrellas, of which t e following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to rovide a novelform of umbrella of the collapsible ty e.

Various foldin or collapsible umbrellas have been hereto ore devised, but so far as I am aware, they have never been. brought into commercial use, mainly because of the complicated and otherwise undesirable constructions employed in the practical embodiment thereof.

The essential desiderata in order to rovide a commercial and practical article 0 the class to which my invention relates, are, first, simplicity of structure; secondly, frame construction such as will admit of quickly reducing the umbrella to its collapsed form with all parts folded together in a small compass of space; thirdly, at least as great a degree of substantiality as is ossessed by the commonly used non-co apsible umbrella; and lastly, a structure which will give the same graceful effect as the ordinary umbrella, in so ar as appearance is concerned, and at the same time be light and serviceable for all purposes.

In carrying out the present invention the above important and necessary features of construction have been borne in mind, and a device, combining the various structural prerequisites, has been roduced, which fully answers all commerciail pur oses.

AlIlOD other'objects of t e invention, it is c'ontem ated to provide an umbrella, the cover of which is removable or detachable, to enable the owner to readily substitute a cover of differentcolor from that already a plied to the device, whereby with a single umbrella frame, many different colored covers may be used interchangeably to suit the whim or desire of the owner. The advantages of the above are evident without recitation.

Fo r a full understanding of the in ention and the advantages and mode of oJeration thereof, reference is to be had to the following detail description'and to the accompanyin drawings, inwhichz igure 1 is a vertical sectional view, par- 'drawin tially broken away, showing a collapsible umbrella embodying the essential features of partly in section, bringing out the jointed construction of the stick and the cooperation of the runner therewith; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the cover;.Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cap; Fig. 7 is a section on theline 77 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a detail section of one of the clasps attached to the cover, and Fig. 9 is a detail section on the line 99 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to'similar parts throughout the following detail description and on the several views of the Specifically describin the invention the numeral 1 designates t e 'stickof the umbrella, the same being made in sections preferably connected by a screw joint 2, a detachable handle 3 being ap lied to the lower end of the stick. The um rella is rovided with the usual ribs for supporting t e cover, said ribs being, however, of peculiarly advantageousform. Each rib consists of an held in such position by means of an end ex-v tension 4. with which each rib section 4 is provided at its upper end. The end extension 4Lv of the rib section 4' is ada ted to be received in the grooved or channe ed side of the section 4 and engaged by means of integral sprin catches 6 projectmg from the under side 0 the rib section 4. The extension 4 of the lower section 4 project'sa short distance above the pivotal connection 5 and the catches 6 of the section 4 are located adjacent to said pivotal connection so as to receive the extension 4 therebetween, when the. umbrella is open, and by spring engage ment with op osite sides of the extension 4 rigidly hold t e extension against the under side of the section 4, the parts of the rib being thus held firmly in operative position.

\ The various ribs of the umbrella are conas above described, in order that a sprin cap-1'4, adapted to receive the upper end 0 g ingthe socket portion of the cap and the" umhrella. At'interva'ls in the length of the seams 11 thereto.

ranged that they will engage over the porrib is formed with integral ears 9 with which ends of thesections '4' of the ribs' are connected by stretchers 7 with the runner 8 which is mounted on the stick 1.. Forsthe above purpose the upper sectlon 4 of each theupfier end of a cooperating stretcher 7 is pivota y connected.

As before premised herein, the cover 10 of the umbrella is detachably applied thereto. In eneral conformation the cover- 10 is" sim' ar '00- those most commonly in use on umbrellas, said cover; however, being formed with a central reinforced opening 1 1 adapted to receive the stick 1. When the cover'is applied to the umbrella the re-inforoed open-in 11 is located just above the notch 12, sai notch being formed with a tubular extension having: an annular flange 13. The upper nected withthe notch 12 in the customary way. The form of the notch 12-is peculiar;

the stick-1, may be engaged over the notch so as todamp or engage the central portion oi the cover 10' inthe manner shown in Fig.' 3; to secure this portion of the cover to the stick in asubstantial Way. The up erend ofithe detachable cap 14 is slit radial y so as to virtually form a springsocket 14 through whichthe' flange 13- passeswhen'the cap is placed in operative position, said flange enho ding the latter in proper'engi 'gementwith the cover 10-. The cap 14 wi of course be finished nicely to conform with the finish of ofthe coyer-10, spring clas 5 15 are stitched orotherwise connected'wit the cover, said clasps being of somewhat U-form in cross section and adapted to engage and'receive therein the ribs,- when the cover is applied Certain'of the clasps '-15'are so ar tions of' the rib sections -4' inwhich the end extensions 4- of'the sections- 4 are received, such clasps'cooperating with the catches 6 to hold the extensions 4" and the upper rib sections 4 permanently together. At the outer ends of the seams 11- of the cover 10, small eyes-'16 are applied, the same being ada ted to engage in small hooks 17 projecting om the under sides of the rib sections 4 at the lower extremities of the latter.

The general arrangement and cooperation of the parts of the invention, when the umbrella is open or extended, will be evident from the foregoing description and-on reference to the drawings. The tension on the cover 10 when the umbrella is raised is advantageous in increasing the rigidity of the ribs, and therunner 8 is so located that on raising the umbrella said runner assumes a position in which it incloses the joint 2 of'the stick at this point.

plied" to the stick 1 to hold the runnelirghe sea ed stick- 1, reinforcing the joint and-preventing likelihood of fracture or breakage of the The usual catch is appositionshown in Fig. 1.

In folding the umbrella, the latter is partly closed and then inverted to relieve thetension onthe cover 10; whereupon the runner 8 may be forcedupwardly into a position near the 'notch 12 and the rib sections as well as st'retchers 7 will be in close compact'arrangement: The preliminary inversion of the umbrella causes the rib sections 4 and the portion of-the cover carried thereby to move t againstthat portion of the cover carried by the u or rib sections. When the body of the um rell a iscollapsed the sections" of the stick-1 may be unscrewed and thus se arated so that the article may be readily The owner of the umbrella may substitute a handleof more or less" value for that de placed in a small satchel, or the like.

tachably secured to the'stick 1 and this is advanta eous for obvious reasons.

Shoul it be desired to remove the cover it is only necessary to disengage the eyes 16 from the hooks 17, the clasps 15 fromthe ri'b's, and detach the cap l4 from the stick 1. A different covermay be quickly and easily applied or substituted for that on the urn brella, accordin to the desire of the user:

Having thus escribed the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a collapsible umbrella, the combination of a'stick, a notch on the upper'end of the stick and provided with a=tubular extension projectin' u wardly therefrom, said tubular extension ein formed at its upper portion with. an arm ar flange, ribs connected with the notch, stretchersconnected with the ribs, a runner mounted on the stick and connected with the stretchers, a detachable cover provided with a re-inforced central 0 ening resting on the notch, means detacha l'y connecting the coverand ribs, and a cap,

receivin the upper-portion of the stick and provide with a springsocket at its upper end adapted to engage the flange of the notch extension whereby the cap is held in engagement' with the centralportion of the cover.

2. The combination with an umbrella comprising ribs consisting of sections, of means for holding the sections of the ribs in extended positions when the umbrella is open, a cover, and means detachably connecting the cover with the ribs and'cooperating to hold the rib sections in extended positions.

3. In a collapsible umbrella, the combination of a stick, folding ribs connected therewith, means carried by said ribs. to positively hold the same in extended positions, a detachable cover, and connecting means between the cover and the ribs also cooperating to hold the latter in extended position.

- tion of a stick, sectional ribs connected with with the ribs and engaging both sections of the latter to assist in holding the ribs in extended positions. 10 the stick and adapted to fold together, In testimony whereof I afiix my signature catches carried by certain sections of the rib I in presence of two Witnesses. y l to engage with and hold the other sections in GEORGE C. SHIVERS. extended positions relative thereto, a cover, Witnesses: r and clasps detachably connecting the cover F. M. PUHY,

THOMAS PURSE.

4. In a collapsible umbrella, the combina- 

